For You
by Sayu-chan
Summary: As if unrequited love weren't enough, Kaorin finds herself caught up in a series of near fatal incidents that can't be mere coincidence. Someone is out to get Chiyo and herself, and if they don't find out who, the consequences could be deadly... Shoujo ai
1. For an Innocent

A/N: So, I've decided to rewrite For You before I do anything new with it. It's been some time since the fic began, and my writing has improved as of late.

... that, and I have entirely forgotten where I was planning to take this story. Oh, yes. I forgot le plot. I know, awful of me.

I'll be re-working the plot, adding more detail, changing some dialogue, et cetera. I do hope that my loyal reviewers enjoy the new and improved version of For You.

Disclaimer: I don't own Azumanga Daioh.

0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

Kaorin sighed. She was slowly making her way down the sidewalk, schoolbag in hand, just thinking about getting home as she tried to forget the events of the day. The soles of her shoes were making a sound akin to sandpaper against the pavement, shuffle-scrape, shuffle-scrape, the soundtrack to her life. She was dragging her feet out of exhaustion, both physical and mental; it had been a long, lonely, _creepy_ day as usual in Kimura-sensei's class.

He had called on her several times that day- whether her hand was raised or not- and, just like always, he had called her "Kaorin" each time. At one point during the class, he even suggested that the girls change into their gym shorts due to the increasingly hot weather. And to top it all off, he decided to give the girls in the class a "pop quiz".

The little questionnaire was full of questions about their opinions on what nicknames they preferred to call Kimura by and whether or not gym shorts should be tucked in. However, those were only warm-ups; the real question was down at the bottom, in plain sight.

"Do you like me, Kaorin?"

That question had resulted in a few sympathetic looks from the other girls in the class, as well as a bit of bewilderment from the boys that glanced at the girls' papers. And of course, Kimura was entirely serious about the whole thing.

Thankfully, no one answered any of the questions; Kimura passed it back no less than three times before the bell finally rang and he gave up. Their homework: "Think about your answers, the test will resume tomorrow."

Kaorin sighed again. "Why does it have to be me he likes?" she groaned miserably. Sometimes she wondered why she even bothered to attend his class; they rarely did anything educational anymore, the test from earlier made that quite clear. There was only one reason she bothered with that class anymore: Sakaki-san.

Sakaki was in a lot of the same classes as she was, and they had been in the same homeroom for the first two years of high school. Now, though, Kaorin was trapped in Kimura's homeroom- it wasn't quite as perilous as Yukari's, but Kimura was far more obnoxious than Yukari could ever be. And as if it weren't bad enough that she had to put up with Kimura every day, she had been separated from Sakaki.

Now she rarely got to see the other girl, save a few classes together and maybe once during the day, at lunch. Sakaki would walk outside during the lunch break on occasion, and Kaorin would do anything to get away from Kimura. So, they were often out in the courtyard by the trees at that time. Kaorin could never get up the courage to approach Sakaki out there, though; she just stood behind a tree and watched as Sakaki stared off into space a few yards away. That way, she could be somewhat near to Sakaki without feeling terribly awkward. However, this behavior was not without its consequences.

There had been rumors that she was stalking Sakaki, little wisps of gossip floating around the rest of Sakaki's admirers. She found out thanks to Chihiro, who would pose as one of the squealing Sakaki-fangirls to find out what everyone was saying and how the rumors started. Some were harmless little bits of scandal; others, cruel and vicious. The latter were rare, but they were bad enough that Kaorin often spent a night in tears. Anything she said or did only gave them more to talk about; so, she just stood there behind that tree, admiring the charcoal-haired beauty from afar.

Sakaki, so cool... and so quiet, which was odd considering the rather loud group she was always with. Kaorin envied them a bit- she wished she could be that comfortable around Sakaki. Especially Kagura, always challenging Sakaki to some kind of contest or sitting with her between classes. Kaorin sighed. Lucky girl, she thought to herself. If only I could be that bold...

"Ka-Kaorin, look out!"

"Huh?" A car horn blared to her left, shaking her out of her reverie. "Ah! S-sorry, sorry!" She had walked right into the middle of the street. Bowing embarassedly, she dashed back to the sidewalk. Chiyo-chan and Osaka were standing there, both relieved that she was coming back in one piece.

"Y-y-you should be more careful!" Chiyo-chan squeaked as the cars drove on. She was practically hyperventilating.

"Yeah, what Chiyo-chan said." Osaka had a hand over her heart. "You coulda gotten hit!"

"Thanks for warning me," Kaorin said gratefully. "I guess I was spacing out..."

"Gee, you're startin' to sound like me." Osaka said with a smile. "So what were ya thinkin' so hard about?"

"Oh... n-nothing," Kaorin stammered, averting her eyes.

"Were you thinking about Sakaki-san?" asked Chiyo.

"Wh-what? What makes you say that?" Kaorin asked, feigning ignorance.

"Well, I know that you like Sakaki-san very much." Chiyo-chan said this with an innocent smile that made Kaorin wonder what kind of "like" Chiyo-chan was referring to. "But that's not strange, or anything. I like her, too! Sakaki-san is the best!"

"Ahaha, you think so, too, Chiyo-chan?" Kaorin grinned, then sighed. "Lucky you... I always get so flustered around her, but you can just talk with her any time."

"We're good friends, is all. If you knew Sakaki-san better, I'm sure you could talk very easily together."

"You really think so?"

"Yes! Sakaki-san is a very nice person. But, I think some people find her a little scary."

"Nn. I've heard that, too... ahh, the light still hasn't changed?" Kaorin watched as the cars zipped by; they still hadn't gotten a crossing signal. She leaned against the wall of a nearby building and slid down to a sitting position, dropping the schoolbag she'd been carrying beside her. Chiyo-chan joined her, but Osaka remained staring into space by the curb.

"So, where are you headed now that school's over for the day?"

"I think I'm just going to go home... it's been quite a day. How about you, Chiyo-chan? Are you going anywhere?"

"Nn!" Chiyo-chan nodded, beaming. "I'm going to walk my dog, Tadakichi-san. Sakaki-san walks with us sometimes, in the afternoons. She might even be meeting me on the way to my house... ah! Would you like to join us?"

"R-really? You don't mind?"

"Not at all. It's always more fun with other people."

"I'd love to come, then!" Kaorin was so happy she could die. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome. Ah, the signal changed! We should hurry across..." Chiyo-chan stood up and started toward the curb. Kaorin quickly got to her feet and followed Chiyo-chan, pausing a moment to tug at Osaka's sleeve. "Oh, you don't need to worry. She'll snap out of it soon."

"Ah." Kaorin nodded slowly, not really sure about leaving Osaka standing on a curb with her head in space. "O...kay, then. Let's get across."

"Right!" Chiyo stepped out onto the crosswalk, Kaorin a few steps behind.

oxoxoxoxoxoxox

Meanwhile...

oxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Betcha I can do make that stale green light up there!" Yukari shouted with a grin as the Yukarimobile barrelled down the road.

"Betcha can't!" Tomo grinned. "There's no way!"

"No chance, Yukari-sensei!" Kagura said as she shook her head.

"No way." Yomi said firmly.

"Fine! I'll show the lot of you!"

Earlier that day, Yukari had made a bet with Tomo, Kagura, and Yomi that she could get them all home in five minutes. They were already two minutes in, and Yukari had no intention of buying either of them a soda as stated in the terms of the bet. So there they were, speeding towards the green light several blocks away.

"Hey, Yukari. You're craziest driver around here, right?" Tomo asked quietly from the passenger seat.

"Damn right I am!"

"Well, I think you're being jousted," she said with a sly grin.

"Ousted," Yomi corrected.

"What she said." Tomo pointed out the window, toward a car that was passing them. _Passing the Yukarimobile._ It was unheard of.

"I'll show them!"

"No you won't!" Kagura yelped. "Pedestrians!"

"Yee!" Yukari slammed on the breaks when she saw two people starting to cross. The light was red. The other car was slowing, but nowhere near stopping...

Sakaki was walking down the sidewalk, eagerly anticipating the rest of the afternoon. She and Chiyo-chan were going to walk Tadakichi-san, and on the way they would stop by the toy store to pick up the new Necoconeco doll... it was going to be a great day.

"Lu, la lu, la piano wa sekai no yumesaku nohara ni merodii, kowareta tokei o shinjite jikan wa beru no naru yo... hm-mm hm-mm hm-mm hm-m hm hm hm hm hmm hmm..." She suddenly readlized that she had forgotten part of the lyrics and laughed softly at herself. "I think Ayumu is rubbing off on me." She opened her mouth to sing the next verse when something caught her eye: a car, several blocks away, speeding towards a nearby intersection. Sakaki looked where it was headed and gasped, throwing her schoolbag to the ground; Chiyo-chan and Kaorin were right in its path, on the crosswalk. She was already running before she even thought about it, praying that she could get there in time.

Kaorin saw it coming. Hurtling down the street at top speed, it didn't seem like it would slow down. And even if it did, the force would be enough to kill her or Chiyo-chan.

_There's no time to move... my God, we're both gonna die_, Kaorin realized. _And_, she thought to herself, _I'll never get to see Sakaki-san again_. The passage of time seemed to slow, and nearly halt; if only there was more time. Sakaki-san... if she were in this situation, she could grab Chiyo-chan and leap out of the way, and the car would just speed by. Unfortunately, there was no way that Kaorin could do that. She thought of Chiyo-chan. Of Sakaki. Then, a thought struck her. _If Chiyo-chan likes Sakaki as much as she says... then... does Sakaki like Chiyo-chan just as much? If that's the case..._

Kaorin reached out her hand towards Chiyo-chan. _There's only one thing I can do_, she told herself firmly. _Chiyo-chan_... _I'm_..._ sorry_.

0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

A/N: Story will continue very soon. Those who read the original, don't spoil anything for new readers in your reviews, all right?

And please, review, readers. It really means a lot to an author. Motivates us. Makes us want to get the job done faster. The more you review, the faster it comes. The review button is your friend! XD


	2. For a Treasure

A.N.: I don't own Azumanga Daioh. Thank you all so much for the reviews!

0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

**For You**

Chapter Two: 

No matter how hard she tried, Chiyo just couldn't get her feet to move. Her legs seemed as though they had turned to jelly, and were wavering beneath her like a rope bridge in a storm. And the tempest drawing ever nearer was an SUV the color of a furious stormcloud, with orbs of hot, steady lightning glowing on its front and thunder rumbling beneath its hood.

Kaorin reached toward her, mind racing. She knew what needed to be done. _If you're precious to Sakaki-san... _She drew back her arm, the palm of her hand facing the prodigy's back. _If that's the case, Chiyo-chan, then... then, I... _Kaorin looked down at her small, petrified friend. Chiyo was staring helplessly at the great behemoth, captivated by the sight of what could be her approaching demise, when a hand touched her shoulder...

_Then, I can't let anything happen to you!_

...and powerfully thrust her forward, towards the sidewalk and Sakaki. Kaorin put everything she had into that single movement, willing every bit of strength she could muster down her arm, everything she had ever felt and ever would, as though her emotions were surrounding the child with an aura. She had to protect this fragile, innocent treasure of Sakaki's, no matter what the cost.

Sakaki's arms reached out to recieve Chiyo-chan who was, at the moment, flailing as though drowning; they pulled her out of the receding tides of the street, away from the oncoming tsunami. Chiyo-chan was soon safely enfolded in her sleeves, clinging fiercely to her uniform.

Sakaki's eyes flickered up to meet Kaorin's for a moment, full of so many emotions that they were unreadable. Kaorin gave her a fleeting smile; then, she found herself falling.

Pain, though from whence it came she couldn't exactly be sure.

Her arms pressed against cold, black pavement, the pain again, tires squealed behind her. Then, darkness.

oxoxoxoxoxoxox

oxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Kaorin..." A hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently, prompted Kaorin to return to consciousness. That, and an angelic voice calling her name. It had to be the voice of an angel, so beautiful and clear... Kaorin wondered if she had died. Did the car strike her? Kill her? "Nee... Kaorin..."

That was not the voice of a celestial being, but rather the familiar, soft murmur she knew belonged to a different sort of angel.

"Sa... Sakaki...san?" Kaorin forced her eyes open and blinked a few times to clear her blurred vision. She felt the rough concrete beneath her hands and glanced down at it, almost admiring it, solid and reassuring. "You're alive," the sidewalk told her.

Above her, the view was slightly more scenic. A pair of lavender-colored eyes stared down at her, half-closed by the relieved smile that had started to spread across Sakaki's face. Silky raven tresses hung close to Kaorin's face; they carried a soft, calming scent she couldn't place in her drowsy state.

"Are you all right?" Sakaki asked. Her voice was laden heavily with concern. Kaorin nodded slowly.

"I... I think so," Kaorin mumbled. "Is Chiyo-chan okay?"

"A little shaken up, but no injuries." She pointed toward the now-empty corner by the crosswalk. "The others took her home." Sakaki nodded her head in something like a bow. "I... can't thank you enough, for what you did," she said softly.

"It w-was n-n-no big deal," Kaorin stammered modestly, a furious blush spreading across her face. She'd only just realized that her head was resting on Sakaki's leg, and probably had been the entire time. "I, uhm..."

She sat up quickly and started to get to her feet, but Sakaki quickly touched her hand and motioned for her to sit down.

"Don't try to put any weight on your left leg, yet," she advised. Kaorin nodded slowly and sat down, not questioning the warning. "It looks like it may have swollen a little," Sakaki explained. Kaorin looked curiously at her ankle, which, admittedly, did look a little off.

"I... remember that I fell, but that's all... it's kind of a blur."

"After you pushed Chiyo-chan out of the way, that car almost hit you. I think it knocked you off balance when it passed." Sakaki curved her hand downward and extended two fingers to the sidewalk, like a pair of legs. "'This way." She curled one of the fingers up slightly, and the other twisted a bit in response. "Might be sprained."

"Maybe I should get it checked out," Kaorin mused. It was starting to worry her, and the worry had caused her ankle to seem even more swollen than before.

"Here." Sakaki hooked one arm under Kaorin's knees and put the other around her shoulders, carefully shifting the smaller girl into a comfortable position. Then, she slowly got to her feet. Kaorin yelped in surprise and put her arms around Sakaki's neck as her face turned an even brighter red.

"There's a small clinic nearby," Sakaki said plainly. Kaorin merely nodded and became very interested in the folds of her skirt, twisting a pleat in her hands and then smoothing it out repeatedly.

If it was serious enough, maybe she could miss a day of school. A day without Kimura-sensei would be heavenly... wait, school?

"Ah! My schoolbag!" Kaorin's head moved left and right as she looked over Sakaki's shoulder.

"Chihiro-san has it."

"Chihiro-chan?"

"Mm-hmm. She and Eri-san walked by here while you were unconscious. They seemed quite worried about you, but Chihiro said she had to go tell your mother that you would be late getting home..."

"I see." Kaorin nodded.

Eri and Chihiro had met at lunch a week earlier, when Kaorin was home with a fever. She wasn't sure exactly what happened, but when she returned, the two had become inseparable. That had long been the state of Chihiro and Kaorin's relationship, but as Astronomy Club activities began to grow more frequent, they had been seeing less and less of each other. And since Kaorin had been put in Kimura's homeroom, they barely saw one another in the mornings, either.

Hisakawa Eri was a little taller than Chihiro, and wore her hair in a pair of braids that hung down just past her shoulderblades. She was the type of girl that just faded into the background, especially with all the ruckus that went on in Yukari's class.

But, she seemed nice enough. And Kaorin was happy to see that Chihiro had found another good friend... another _best_ friend. She was happy for Chihiro, of course... but, sometimes she worried that Chihiro felt bitter towards her for drifting away. They had been friends since elementary school, after all...

"We're here." Sakaki's soft voice shook Kaorin out of her reverie.

They were standing at the door to a small building nestled between two apartment complexes. The faded yellow paint on the outside was chipped and peeling in some places, likely from the summer heat. Periwinkle-blue curtains were visible through the windows, and the same color adorned the whole interior of the building. It was a charming little place that seemed to welcome them in with open arms, beckoning and calling like a mother would to her children.

"Matsuo-san?" Sakaki stepped inside, taking care to keep Kaorin's head from striking the doorframe as she entered. A man in his late twenties poked his head out of a doorway and smiled at the sight before him.

"Ah, Sakaki-san, good to see you. Any new bites? Scratches?"

"Not today, sir." Sakaki said this with a soft giggle. "I've got a friend who may have sprained her ankle. Could you take a look?" Matsuo looked at Kaorin, who smiled and gave a shy nod of her head in greeting.

"I most certainly can." He walked out and pointed to a small back room. "Bring her on in." As they walked, he struck up a friendly conversation with Sakaki; it seemed she visited the clinic often. "So who is this young lady you've brought with you?"

"A-Aida Kaori," Kaorin said quietly, staring at the floor. She had never been good with strangers.

"Nice to meet you, Aida-san," he said with a grin. Matsuo seemed like a very friendly man; and if he was a friend of Sakaki's, then Kaorin was sure she could trust him. "Here we are, just lie her down on this little table here."

They had walked into a small examining room that smelled strongly of peppermint and green tea. The counter next to the table was home to a stethoscope, a box of disposable latex gloves, and several boxes of band-aids arranged in an odd, misshapen little pyramid that held all the charm Matsuo and his building did and brought a smile to Kaorin's face. There were a number of small ruddy flowerpots scattered throughout the room, each with their own type of vegetation inside; Kaorin swore she saw peppermint candies sticking out of the soil in one. To top it all off, every surface of the room was covered in cats.

Stuffed cats and cat-themed knick-knacks inhabited the shelves and cabinets amidst prescriptions and rolls of gauze, some dressed as doctors holding bandages and others simply wrapped in them. There were paintings, photographs, and crayon drawings of cats plastered all over the walls, a paper barricade of soldiers that would not allow a single of catless paint to show, and even when they overlapped they never covered any part of any feline. The only spot on the wall that was not buried in pictures was home to a clock- and that, too, was shaped like a cat.

It was a soothing, sweet atmosphere, and Kaorin closed her eyes for a moment to savor the soft ticking of the cat-clock and the peppermint smell that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Ano, Matsuo-san..." Sakaki gingerly set down the stuffed cat whose long, tangled fur she had been attending to.

"Yes?" Matsuo looked up from rummaging in a drawer, where he had been fishing for a pair of scissors.

"I think Aida-san has fallen asleep," she said softly, looking over at the smaller girl with a tender smile. Matsuo looked as well, and laughed.

Sure enough, Kaorin was sound asleep, eyes closed and one hand resting on a stuffed kitten that had been keeping her company on the examining table.

"Should I just take her home?" asked Sakaki as she rearranged the bandage-box-pyramid.

"What kind of sprain is it?"

"I think it's a Grade II," Sakaki replied after studying it for a moment.

"Ahh, she looks like a heavy sleeper to me." Matsuo said with a smile. "Do you remember where the crutches are?"

"Closet three," Sakaki said with a bright smile as she walked out the door. Matsuo's examination room always made her feel better, even after the incident from earlier in the afternoon. It was paradise, heaven, in her eyes. As she walked back into the feline-filled room with the crutches in hand, she felt as though her heart would burst with joy.

_Next stop, veterinary school!_ She thought to herself as she righted a fallen jar of tongue depressors.

oxoxoxoxoxoxox

oxoxoxoxoxoxox

"You sure you're gonna be all right, Chiyo-chan?" Osaka asked as she stood on the front steps of Chiyo's house.

"Oh, yes, Osaka-san. I'm fine," Chiyo responded, beaming. "Thank you very much for walking me home."

"Sure thing. Well, if you're sure you'll be all right, then I guess I'll..." she stopped and looked upward, then let her eyes drift in a sort of arc to the left, not moving her head once. After a moment she blinked and sighed in frustration. "Darn it, they keep gettin' away from me."

"H-huh?" Chiyo stared at her friend, bewildered by this odd behavior. Although, "odd behavior" was certainly what she'd come to expect from the kansai girl over the years.

"Oh, I was chasin' the dust in my eyes, that's all. Well, g'night, Chiyo-chan!" Osaka spun on her heel and walked back to the sidewalk, where she paused to turn around and wave. Chiyo waved enthusiastically back before stepping inside and closing the door.

She ascended the stairs to her room with a sigh. It was only six in the afternoon, but already she was exhausted; today had been a very long and strange day for the young girl. Tadakichi-san was there to greet her at the door, sitting patiently as she approached.

Chiyo put her hand on the doorknob and hesitated for a moment; then, she went and sat down next to him instead. She wrapped her arms around his furry neck and held onto him, just taking a moment to sit and enjoy his company.

"You'll protect me if I get in trouble, won't you, Tadakichi-san?" she asked him quietly. He gave her a lick on the cheek in response. Giggling, Chiyo stood up and opened the door to her room. "Ready for bed?" she asked him. He cocked his head to the side and perked up his ears as if testing to see if he had heard her correctly. Then, he struggled up onto her bed and lay there, tail beating mercilessly against the blankets.

Once she had brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas, Chiyo crawled up onto the bed beside him and snuggled under the sheets. It was too hot for the blankets, which were folded at the foot of the bed. Tadakichi-san sat proudly beside her, her own personal sentry standing guard at her side until she drifted off to sleep.

That night, her dreams were haunted by a great black beast with glowing yellow eyes that chased her down the endless, dark streets of her nightmares until morning.

0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

A.N.: Next chapter coming soon.

I've already added a lot to these first two chapters that wasn't there in the original story (i.e., another car coming down the road instead of the Yukarimobile striking Kaorin and Chiyo, more mentions of Chihiro, and quite added bit of character development) and while they may seem small and subtle now, they will become more prominent as time goes on.

A note: Eri Hisakawa isn't _exactly_ an OC. There's a girl with braids often seen in the background during Azumanga Daioh, and she is yet unnamed to my knowlege. I saw a screenshot of her once and decided that I wanted to use her in something.

Matsuo-san, the doctor from the clinic, is entirely a work of my imagination, and will NOT be paired with anyone. ;D I'm sure this is splendid news to my OC-despising number-one fan. On the topic of OC's, veteran readers may notice another difference in this fanfic as later chapters are published...

Well, I hope you'll all leave plenty of praise and criticism when you finish reading this! It's thanks to all you readers and reviewers that I did my very best on this chapter. You guys rock!

'Till next time!


	3. For a Woman

Disclaimer: I still don't own Azumanga Daioh. Onward to chapter three! It's a bit short, but it needed to be done for a few reasons.

ps, Taking some artistic liberty with names. :3 You'll see.

pps, doing manual indents is tedious and futile. D:

ppps, If I've made any typos (spelling, sentences cutting off in the middle, et cetera) please throw spoons at me as you inform me of such things. xD

0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

_ Kaori..._

Blue skies above and flowers below, rainbows of earth and air that joined at the horizon. And Sakaki, astride a magnificent white stallion, extending her hand to Kaorin.

_ Kaori..._

The horse moved like a fine mist, so smoothly it seemed almost as though it were floating along the road. Kaorin was sitting in front, clutching the horse's mane; Sakaki's arms wound around hers and held her hands steady, showing her the best way to grip it.

They sped towards the sunset, along a road paved with tongue depressors and bandage boxes...

_ Kaori..._

"Kaori!" came an irritated shout from the left, shattering Kaorin's blissful sleep. "Kaori, it's six o'clock. If you don't hurry, you'll be late for school." Kaorin firmly grasped the sheets and pulled them over her head, sighing in exasperation.

"G'morninmom," she mumbled sleepily. She desperately wanted to return to the dream she'd been having, but to her dismay it had already begun to fade out of her mind.

"Don't 'good morning' me, get up. You've got school today," her mother said matter-of-factly, as if Kaorin was unaware of this. Her daughter made a muffled sound of what she took to be reluctant agreement, and she marched back down the hall.

After unsuccessfully trying to call back the dream from the shadows of her mind, Kaorin sat up and stretched her arms above her head, mouth open wide in a long, leisurely yawn. At least it's Friday, she told herself.

The bright sunlight through her window forced her to close her eyes for a few seconds to let them adjust. After muttering something about "underhanded methods" with a glance at the doorway, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and groped at the space near the wall where her crutches were.

Kaorin had missed school the day before, and had taken a good three hours to get used to moving with crutches, an hour of which was devoted to mastering the art of getting out of bed without severely injuring herself. The practice had paid off- she'd developed an exact process.

She lowered her right foot to the floor and balanced on it (with considerable skill, for someone who had woken up only two minutes earlier) while her hands reached for the equipment leaning against the wall. Once the crutches were in her grasp, she tucked them under her arms and planted them firmly a foot in front of her. Small steps had to be taken in the morning, since she had fallen once or twice going further than two feet when not fully awake.

Stifling a second yawn, she made her way to the window. It was a beautiful day without a single cloud in the sky; but, she would enjoy that later. She shut the curtains and in doing so effectively extinguished the light that had been flooding into her room uninvited.

"That's better!" she declared, with a satisfied nod.

"Kaori!" her mother called from somewhere in the house. It seemed like she perpetually carried a megaphone with her, loud as she was.

"Coming!" Kaorin shouted back. She picked up her schoolbag and caught sight of her Classical Lit. homework, which she immediately tried to put out of her mind. She hated thinking that she would have to see Kimura today- she was sure that he would do all sorts of embarassing things to welcome her back._ I suppose he's just being nice in his own way... it's a little creepy, but he's trying. _She sighed._ I'm starting to feel compassion for Kimura-sensei, of all people. What is the world coming to?  
_  
"Kaori! Hurry up! Your _friend _is here!" There was a subtle change in her tone when she uttered the word "friend", which drew a sigh from Kaorin. Whatever her mother was mad about, Chihiro could wait.

She put the last of her things in her schoolbag and went to the hall while in the process of brushing her teeth. Swishing the foam off to one side, she looked around the corner and said, "Hey, Chihi... oh." The face that greeted her definitely did not belong to Chihiro.

Sakaki stood in the doorway, smiling patiently at her.

"Good morning," she said with a bow. Kaorin stood stunned for a moment, still in her pajamas with a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. And her hair was probably a mess. And she hadn't washed her face. She quickly clamped her hand over her mouth to keep the toothpaste foam from going anywhere undesirable. With nothing else to do, she swallowed the stuff and tried to form some sort of a response.

"Ah, Sak-ka-ka-ki-san!" Kaorin squeaked. She blushed and fidgeted nervously where she stood, trying to think of something to say. "Ano, ano... g-good morning!" she shouted, with a bow so deep she nearly fell forward. With that, she tore back to the her room as fast as the crutches would carry her. After taking a moment to thump her head against the wall, she dashed to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

She returned only a minute and a half later, dressed and properly groomed with an apologetic smile on her face. Sakaki was watching Kaorin's cat, who was fast asleep on a chair in the next room without a care in the world. Noticing Kaorin out of the corner of her eye, Sakaki looked up and smiled kindly towards her.

"Shall we?" she offered, stepping gracefully backward out of the doorway. Kaorin nodded mutely and made her way to the door, turning to bow as best she could to her mother, who was glaring daggers at her.

Her mother had been in a bad mood ever since Sakaki had carried Kaorin home from the clinic. Some of it was due to her being careless enough to sprain her ankle crossing the street, some for being late to arrive home. Chihiro had, of course, come by to tell her mother of the injury and the resulting delay, but punctuality had always been a big deal in the Aida household. Alas, that was not the only reason for the cold attitude that greeted her- Kaorin knew her mother was aware of her feelings for Sakaki.

It had all come out one night after a particularly nasty rumor made its rounds; what exactly was being said about her, Kaorin was almost too ashamed to say in the presence of her mother. Halfway through her explanation, Kaorin had broken into tears, and confessed that the other party discussed in the rumors was a girl that she had fallen for. While they both knew she would support her daughter no matter what choices she made, there was still reluctance in her mother's voice when she finally sighed, "It's all right, Kaori."

Aida Takako was the type of mother who always dreamed that her daughter would marry a successful businessman and raise grandchildren. Although Kaorin's current behavior was certainly not concrete evidence that she would never settle down with a man, the two were well-aware that Kaorin was predisposed to reject that particular scenario. Even if she developed an interest in the opposite sex, she wouldn't want to marry any enterprising businessman- the last thing she wanted was to wind up shackled to someone like her father. Especially since...

Kaorin shook away her thoughts as she felt a troubled expression beginning to surface on her face. Fighting it off, she focused on the same thing as always: _You have to keep smiling. _

And as her mother stared icily down at her, Kaorin just beamed cheerily back and promised to be home in time for dinner. Her mother sighed, hands on her hips.

"Just be careful, all right? There might be thunderstorms this afternoon. Remember, that couple on their second honeymoon got struck by lightning walking down the street near your school a few years back!"

"We'll be careful," Kaorin said with a nod. She had heard the story a thousand times, yet her mother found the need to repeat it every time there was a thunderstorm warning. Her mind wandered. _What was the name of that couple again... Asahina? Marukawa? Wait, no, that's candy..._

"Do you need any help with your schoolbag?" Sakaki asked quietly, bringing Kaorin's throughts to a screeching halt and sending them off into the wind like scattered bits of paper.

"Oh, n-n-no, no, I'm all right!" She felt herself drifting helplessly into her usual flustered tone. "But th-thank you v-ve-very much... a-ano, do you n-n-need any help with yours?" asked the shorter girl earnestly.

"Hmm? No, I'm fine." Sakaki gave her a small nod of thanks.

"Y-You're sure? I mean, y-y-you've b-been so helpful to me... ah! Wh-when I'm off the crutches, just let me know if there's anything I can do to help you! I'll do anything, anything at all! Really!" Kaorin was staring up at Sakaki with blazing determination in her eyes, and the flames had long since spread to her cheeks.

"It's all right. I do owe you, after all..." Sakaki stared up at the sky, still tinged pink by the sunrise. "If you hadn't been there, then Chiyo-chan could have..." she trailed off, having gotten her point across. Kaorin swore she heard Sakaki's voice shake a little bit as she spoke, but figured it was just her imagination.

"It... it was n-n-nothing," stammered Kaorin, staring hard at her raised left foot. "I-I just did what any of us would have done..." She was beginning to miss the blurry calm that had descended upon her after the accident.

For some reason, she had been able to speak with Sakaki without any problems, unhindered by her perpetual shyness for the first time. There were plenty of possible reasons for it- drowsiness, shock, an overload of closeness to Sakaki... perhaps even a bump on the head from when she fell. Kaorin didn't know what the boost of confidence was or from whence it had come; what she _did _know was that it certainly wasn't with her now.

"Uhm... s-so, how's Chiyo-chan?" she asked in an attempt to shift the discussion into a slightly more casual area.

"She's fine..." Sakaki said, and waved to a small figure standing on the other side of the nearest crosswalk. Chiyo-chan gave a small wave in return, then spotted Kaorin and began to jump up and down as she waved her arms in welcome. "...as you can see."

Kaorin grinned and waved exaggeratedly back as she and Sakaki began to cross the street. Chiyo-chan was bouncing up and down the entire time, shouting, "You're back, you're back!" and continuing to wave.

"Hey, Chiyo-chan!" Kaorin said with a smile as she stepped up onto the sidewalk. The smaller girl dashed over to them, pigtails bouncing wildly, and threw herself at Kaorin.

"I was so worried about you, Kaori-san! Is your leg okay? Are_ you _okay? Did you have to go to the hospital?" Chiyo-chan's questions rambled on for a few seconds more as she stared at Kaorin with wide, worried eyes.

"I'm just fine, Chiyo-chan," Kaorin assured her cheerfully, once there was a break in the interrogation. "Matsuo-san said it would take about four weeks at the most to heal completely," she added with a gesture at her ankle.

"Ah! You've met Matsuo-san, then?" Chiyo-chan looked pleased as she said this. "How did you get to the clinic?"

"That's right, you left pretty soon after everything happened." Kaorin thought for a moment, trying to recall the details.

She had heard the entire story in an e-mail from Yomi the night before, in response to her inquiry as to everyone's condition. Osaka had immediately left with Chiyo-chan to get her home, and the two had been in and out of bookstores all the way in search of a new picture book Chiyo-chan was interested in. Sakaki had stayed behind, deciding to wait for Kaorin to wake up before taking her anywhere. Yomi and Tomo had gotten a ride to the Mizuhara residence from Yukari which, Yomi added, did nothing to ease her troubled mind. And Kagura, barely staying long enough to explain, had raced back towards the school to tell Chihiro about the incident.

She had not been conscious long enough to ask Sakaki, so Kaorin had to ask Yomi about what exactly "the incident" was; as it turns out, the car had swerved away from Kaorin at the last second, and as it did so, Kaorin's foot twisted beneath her and caused her to fall. Chiyo-chan had not been hurt at all, which became quite apparent at that moment.

"Ah! It's late, it's late!" shouted Chiyo-chan anxiously, hopping once again. "We should start walking or we'll be late to school!"

Sakaki nodded and glanced at Kaorin's schoolbag again, looking at Kaorin with a cautious murmur of: "You're sure?". Kaorin bobbed her head wildly, utterly touched by Sakaki's concern. Sakaki smiled and turned away, gazing into the window of a toy store nearby. Kaorin looked around as well, trying to find something else to focus on, lest she lose her balance.

"Yee! Ch-Chiyo-chan's right!" She yelped, spotting a clock in the window of a small appliance store. The school bell would ring in thirty minutes, and the walk from their current location was at least twenty-five, considering their speed (or lack thereof). Sakaki looked at Kaorin's bag one last time, and it seemed as though she'd finally given up. With Chiyo-chan already a few yards ahead, there wasn't any time to argue.

And so, the three of them made their way down the sidewalk as quickly as they could, giving Kaorin a good bit of speed practice on her crutches.

0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

Next chapter coming soonish. :3 School starting up in a week, summer reading is attacking me. X.x;;

Sorry, this was mostly a character development-centric chapter. It mentioned a few things that you'll want to keep in mind...

One final note: "Marukawa" is the name of a japanese candy company. Random. xD


End file.
